


possibly, maybe I'm falling for you

by thecrackshiplollipop



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 20:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4974667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecrackshiplollipop/pseuds/thecrackshiplollipop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raven works at a popular coffee shop. Abby drops in one day for a blind date and ends up changing Raven's life instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	possibly, maybe I'm falling for you

Raven’s been working at Grounders for over a year and at this point she can remember every regular’s order without needing them to give her a hint. There’s the chubby guy with glasses who loves the green tea infused scones with a cup of black coffee, the tight lipped business woman who always orders a cup of Mexican hot chocolate, and the gaggle of haggard looking interns who always stop in and order a massive carafe of coffee and a plate of doughnuts before their shift.

So they get a lot of professionals from the businesses in the area, loads of doctors from the paediatric hospital down the street, and the occasional college kid who wandered too far off of campus in search of an outlet. They never get book clubs, or mommy-and-me groups, or people on dates. So when someone out of the ordinary turns up at the counter, they usually stick out to Raven.

It’s late Saturday afternoon and this woman walks through the door in a deep purple dress that wouldn’t make her stand out on a weekday, but since it is Saturday, everyone else is in sweatpants or jeans. Raven noticed her as soon as she walked through the door, bringing in the cold air of early January, and watches as she slides her long wool coat off and hangs it on the coat rack near the door.

There’s no line so the woman walks right up to the counter and Raven practically elbows Bellamy out of the way so she can get to the register first.  
“Hey there, welcome to Grounders. What can I get you?”

“I think…” the woman taps her lips, scanning over the menu hanging on the wall behind Raven. Raven takes the opportunity to get a better look at her up close. She’s ridiculously hot, obviously dolled up for something more than coffee. Her expression is tense and she holds herself a little too rigidly to look natural standing there at the counter. Needless to say, Raven’s interest is piqued. “A chai latte, I think?” She says finally, opening her purse.

“Oh,” Raven frowns, “okay.”

“Is that a problem?” the woman raises her brows, pulling her wallet out.

“No, I just pegged you for a coffee person, that’s all.” Raven shrugs, scrolling through the list on the iPad.

“Oh,” she laughs, “I am. Usually. But I’m trying to avoid caffeine today and… You know, decaf coffee just doesn’t feel right to me.”

“You do realise chai has caffeine in it, right?”

“Oh…” the woman purses her lips. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Raven chuckles, “but we have some nice non-caffeinated teas. There’s this local spiced tea that tastes kind of like chai but, you know, isn’t.”

“Hm.”

“I can add cream and sugar to it, you’ll never notice the difference.”

“Alright,” Abby says, narrowing her eyes slightly. “I think I can trust you.”

“You’ve made an excellent choice,” Raven beams. “Anything else?”

“Mm,” she looks over at the bakery case, tapping her lips like she did when she was contemplating her drink order. “How about one of those scones?”

“Awesome. Which flavour?”

“The lemon poppyseed.”

“Excellent choice, those are my best ones.”

“You bake these?” She says, sounding impressed.

“Just when I have the chance.” Raven shrugs. “Do you want it heated up?”

“Sure.”

“Alright. Can I get a name for the order?”

“Abby.”

“Okay Abby… Would you like to open a tab or pay now?”

“Oh I shouldn’t be here for very long. I’m… meeting someone for the ballet.”

“Ah,” Raven can’t help but feel a little crestfallen. Of course she’s there for a date. “That’ll be six fifty-eight, then.”

******

Usually when it’s Raven and Bellamy behind the counter, Bellamy does all the cleaning because Raven’s leg trips her up when she’s trying to maneuver around him. So, she sits on a stool behind the till and reads her book while he hustles around, cleaning the machines and the dishes in between texting people. It’s an easy routine that Raven’s grown accustomed to, but this Saturday she’s far too distracted to read her book. She sits with her elbows on the counter, watching Abby sitting by the window.

“Stop staring at the customers,” Bellamy mutters as he scoots past with a bag of fresh coffee beans.

“I’m not,” Raven sits up, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Then where’s your book?” Bellamy grins, pouring beans into the espresso machine.

“I’m just not interested in reading today.”

“She’s been here for a while, huh?” Bellamy points at Abby with a chin.

“Yeah,” Raven clears her throat. “I think she got stood up.”

“Bummer,” Bellamy shrugs. “She’s hot.”

“Whatever,” Raven clicks her tongue, sliding off of her stool slowly as her gaze roves back across the shop to Abby.

“You should take your fifteen.”

“Nah,” Raven rolls her shoulders slowly, “I’m off in an hour.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Bellamy says and leans against the counter, “before she decides to leave.”

“What?”

“Just saying,” he lifts his brows, “she is pretty hot.” He grins at her dumb expression and pushes off the counter. “It’s pretty slow so I think I’m going to clean the French presses, if you need me.” He hauls the half-empty bag of beans over his shoulder and disappears around the corner into the storage room. She knows she only has a few minutes before he wanders back out to start working on the dishes, so she sighs and reaches for a cup.

She could probably do with a refill, at least.

******

“Hey there,” Raven steps up to Abby’s table with a cup of tea, clearing her throat so Abby looks up from her phone. “I brought you a refill. On the house.”

“I …” Abby frowns and takes the cup from Raven. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Mind if I sit? I usually sit here during my break and-”

“Oh sure,” Abby puts the cup of tea down and motions to the chair across from her. Raven sits down, stretching her leg out carefully as she leans back.

“So.” Raven says as she sits, stretching her leg out carefully. “Your someone…?”

“Stood me up.” Abby sighs, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter, really, it was a blind date.”

Raven scoffs, curling her upper lip. “Still, what a piece of crap.”

“You could say that,” Abby rubs her forehead as she looks down at her cup of tea. Raven shifts in her chair, fighting the urge to tell Abby to drink it while it’s still warm. Abby looks up suddenly, a little smile creeping across her face. “You know what’s good about this, though?” Abby says it quietly so Raven leans forward, putting her elbows on the table.

“What’s that?” Raven asks, matching Abby’s soft, conspiratory tone.

“I hate the ballet,” Abby wrinkles her nose and Raven lets out a surprised laugh. “I prefer musicals.” Abby chuckles.

“With the singing and dancing?”

“Mmhm.”

“Well, at least there’s talking?” Raven gestures helplessly.

“You’re not wrong,” Abby laughs and leans back in her chair, the tension completely gone from her face. She smiles at Raven, her eyes sparkling with mirth, and Raven feels the Earth tilt on its axis for just a moment. “Thank you, by the way,” Abby says after a pause, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Do what?” Raven smiles, butterflies fluttering against her insides, “I just took my break.”

Abby just smiles in return and finally picks up the cup of tea Raven brought her.

* * *

There are plenty of regulars Raven looks forward to seeing each week. But if anyone asked, she would never admit to the thrill of excitement every time Abby walks through the shop’s door in the weeks after their first meeting. She comes in the next day, Sunday, for hot chocolate and another one of Raven’s scones. She sits in the window again, but this time she looks content and happy, dipping pieces of the hazelnut scone into her chocolate as she does the crossword.

That Thursday she shows up in her scrubs, her hair in a messy knot on top of her head. She looks rumpled and tired but orders tea and a hot sandwich so Raven takes her break to listen to her complain about her shift. That’s when Raven finds out that Abby drives twenty minutes out of her way just to get her coffee at Grounders. She admits it so casually that Raven tries not to read into it too much, but it’s hard to ignore the way her heart gives a little leap at the thought.

When Abby shows up on Saturday again, Raven doesn’t try to stop her smile. She heads for the counter to take her order, but the owner, Indra, intercepts her with a black toolbox in her hand.

“Apparently the heater on the patio is broken. Why anyone would want to sit out there today…” Indra shakes her head, “someone complained. Go fix it.”

“What makes you think I can fix a heater?” Raven narrows her eyes, taking the toolbox anyway.

“You fixed the espresso machine,” Indra says flatly. “Don’t forget to put on your coat.”

Raven watches Indra head into her office before grabbing her jacket and stuffing her arms into the sleeves. She grumbles under her breath as she zips up her jacket, how it’s ridiculous that anyone would want to sit on the patio in actual freezing weather, and yanks her beanie onto her head. She’s bending over to grab the toolbox when someone clears their throat behind her and she practically leaps out of her skin, nearly dropping the toolbox as she jerks upright. She turns around, assuming it’s Octavia who loves making her jump, but is even more surprised to see Abby standing there, a bemused look on her face.

“Sorry?”

“Oh. Abby,” Raven smiles and relaxes, but her heart keeps on racing. “I’d love to chat but I have to go fix the heater outside,” she shakes the toolbox so the tools rattle noisily.

“Oh good,” Abby tugs on the collar of her coat, “I was planning on having coffee al fresco.”

“You were not,” Raven laughs.

“Well, no. But I am now.” Abby smiles, touching Raven’s forearm lightly before stepping away in the direction of the patio. Raven just stands there, the ghost of Abby’s touch distracting her from the task at hand. Abby looks back over her shoulder, whistling to get Raven’s attention. “You coming?”

“Uh,” Raven coughs, tugging down the brim of her hat self consciously as she moves to follow Abby. “yup. Let’s go freeze our asses off.”

******

“Raven maybe you should get a step ladder,” Abby says, warning in her voice.

“I’m fine,” Raven says, stepping up on one of the wooden outside chairs like it’s not dangerous at all. “It’s the middle of January and it’s freezing out here. Why do you want to sit out here again?”

“Because you’re fixing the heater,” Abby says lightly, moving her chair so she’s facing Raven. “I didn’t realise you were a mechanic, too.”

“Only when something breaks,” Raven looks over the exterior of the heater for any visible defects. “Ah crap. It’s probably the wiring.”

“Which means?”

“I have to open it up,” Raven looks over at Abby, “can you hand me that screwdriver?” She points at the pile of tools on the opposite side of Abby’s table.

“Mm,” Abby hops up and passes the screwdriver to Raven. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“I’m sure I can think of something,” Raven grins, lopsided, plucking the screwdriver from Abby’s hand. Abby arches her brow as if in a challenge and Raven ducks her head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She turns her attention back to the heater, her cheeks flaming. “So, how’ve you been?”

“Fine,” Abby says as she sits back down. “I’ve been wondrously busy at work.”

“Oh yeah?”  Raven pops open the case on the heating element. Abby mmhms and Raven squints, pursing her lips as she stares at the tangled wires inside the heater. “I hate it when it’s busy here. I always get burned or someone makes a huge mess with the creamer.”

“Well, it’s kept my mind off of … less happy things,” Abby says measuredly.

“Oh. Then, that’s good.” She lets out a little ah-ha! when she spies a wire that’s shredded where it connects to the electrical panel. She tugs on it until it disconnects, keeping her eyes on her work even though she wants to look over at Abby. “Hey, did that guy ever call you?” She asks, trying to keep her tone casual.

“He did, actually. Last week.”

“Wait,” Raven can’t stop herself from gaping at Abby. “So a week after he blew you off?”

“More like ten days.” She takes a sip of her coffee, avoiding Raven’s incredulous look.

"He sounds like an asshole, Abby. Please tell me you’re not giving him a second chance." Raven says seriously, pulling a roll of electric tape from her pocket.

"He said he had a family emergency." Abby says, sounding unconvinced. Raven glances over in time to catch Abby frowning. "But-"

"Your gut told you it's a lie." Raven says pointedly, wrapping the frayed wire in tape.

"Mmm." She exhales loudly. "I just don't get it."

"Simple. Men suck." Raven offers casually, checking the tape coverage before plugging the cord back into the heating element.

"Raven," Abby says with a laugh. All light and soft and airy; a shiver travel down Raven's spine, but not from the chill in the air.

"Look," she bites her lip and snaps closed the lid to the heater's electrical box. "I'm just saying, I would never stand you up on a blind date." She plucks the screwdriver from her jeans pocket and points it at Abby. "Never."

"But you wouldn't know it was me on a blind date." Abby raises her brows and tilts her head, a half smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Raven opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. No witty reply. She snaps her mouth shut and feels heat flood out from her ears across her face. "I appreciate the sentiment, though." Abby says, smiling broadly. Raven lets out a little woof of air, gnawing on her bottom lip as she fishes around in her pocket for the screw.

"I just meant," she clears her throat and turns back to the heater so she can screw shut the electric panel. "You know. I wouldn't cancel on a blind date in general. It's rude." She runs her tongue along the ridge of her teeth, the back of her neck prickling with embarrassment. She pushes the screw down hard, twisting in short, deliberate circles, and Abby just laughs.

"You're very nice, Raven."

"Don't tell anyone, you'll ruin my image." She's relieved that the moment's gone, but her ears still burn with the memory. She flips the switch on the heater and it clicks softly as the heating coils begin to turn red. "Awesome," Raven grins and then looks back at Abby. "I'm awesome."

"Wonderful. Now I won't freeze to death. And you can get off of that wobbly chair."

"Fine, fine." Raven huffs, looking down. Suddenly, the task of getting off the chair seems far more daunting. She can feel the muscles in her thigh twitch like they're anticipating her falling. She bites the inside of her cheek and smiles bashfully at Abby. "Uh. Do you think you could... grab ahold of the chair while I get down? I'm not so sure how I'll do with-"

"Oh! Of course," Abby says quickly, hopping up out of her seat and coming around the table to brace the chair as Raven climbs down.

* * *

Raven is absolutely opposed to the idea of dating customers, but Abby has shown up so often she becomes more of a regular than most of her other regulars, and Raven starts to consider what it would be like to see her outside of the coffee shop. She always stops to talk to Raven, even if it’s just for a few minutes over the counter whilst Raven makes her drink. Both Bellamy and Octavia have gotten into the habit of quietly taking over the counter to let Raven chat, some weird sibling agreement that will surely come around to bite Raven in the ass. She’s secretly thankful, though, because it’s hard to deny that she catches herself smiling bigger when it’s almost time for Abby to show up for her regular Tuesday lunch or her Sunday morning coffee date with the New York Times crossword.

It’s just about that time on Tuesday and Raven’s feeling antsy, she’s been thinking about Abby since the morning. She made pain au lait to go with the fresh jam from the farmer’s market and she can’t wait to get Abby’s opinion on her first attempt at bread. But when Abby bustles in, she doesn’t even say hi to Raven or Bellamy, who she’s on sort-of familiar terms with as well. Raven’s manning the coffee machines so when Abby orders her usual, but to-go, she frowns as she sets about pouring her cup.

“Thanks,” Abby says distractedly, pulling a couple of dollars out of her wallet and stuffing them in the tip jar while Bellamy runs her card.

“No thank you,” Bell grins, nodding at Raven as he hands Abby’s card back. She signs the receipt and hands it over as she’s walking towards the order counter where Raven already has her takeaway cup ready. She’s about to say something when Abby shakes her head, looking almost apologetic.

“Sorry, Raven. No time today.” Abby’s smile is tight as she takes her coffee. “Thanks.” She’s already booking it for the door as she calls out goodbye before Raven can respond. Raven stands there for a second, gawping at the space where Abby was standing. Something about the tight tone of Abby’s voice and the furrow in her brow makes Raven grab a fresh scone off of the cooling rack next to the oven and chase after her as she stuffs it in a wax paper bag.

“Hey! You forgot your scone!” She calls out as she gets outside of the cafe. It’s freezing and Raven’s thin henley does nothing for warmth, but Abby’s already across the sidewalk and Raven tries to make running with a bad leg look good, but she’s pretty sure she looks like an idiot. Abby stops just in front of her car and watches Raven with her brows raised. “Here,” she holds out the wax paper bag with the scone in it. “It’s lemon poppyseed. Fresh out of the oven.”

“I didn’t order a scone.” Abby purses her lips like she’s trying not to smile but Raven knows her better than that.

“...Oops?” She winks, waving the bag slightly.

“Raven… won’t you get in trouble?”

“It’s two bucks, I can absorb the cost. And I’m not letting you skip lunch today.” She steps up to the edge of the curb, holding the bag out so it’s close enough for Abby to take.

“Well.” Abby bites her lip and shakes her head. “Thank you.” She finally takes the scone and tucks it gently into her purse. They stand there for a moment, Raven up on the curb and Abby on street level next to her car. Raven feels like maybe she should say something else, because Abby keeps looking at her like she’s waiting. Or maybe sorting something out. But then Abby clears her throat and presses the unlock button on her fob. “I really do have to get going, though.” The fog of her breath curls in the air and Raven nods. “I have this meeting-”

“Of course. Have a good day, Doc.” Raven turns around quickly so that Abby can’t see the smile that lights up her whole face.

* * *

A snow storm blows in towards the end of March that catches the whole city off guard. Raven gets to work before dawn to avoid the worst of it and she watches in the darkened window as the snowplow clears the street in front of the coffee shop. The snow keeps falling despite the plow’s efforts and it slowly builds through the early hours as Raven goes through the routine of preparing the machines for the day.

She doesn’t mind the snow so much, it gives her a reason to be inside, to keep busy. The last week was bright and sunny almost every day and Raven worked doubles almost the entire time. The one thing that would’ve made it alright was if Abby had been there on her regular routine, but then she wasn’t and… Raven wouldn’t say she started to miss her, but she really did.

After Raven turns over the open sign and unlocks the front door, the morning ticks along at a slower pace; the snow collects on the patio and Raven reads her book, nobody comes into the shop until around ten when the little bell on the door chimes and Raven looks up to see Abby stamping her feet on the mat at the door.

“Look what the storm blew in,” Raven says, completely unable to keep the smile off of her face. Abby takes off her hat and walks up to the counter, her cheeks flushed pink and her shoulders dusted with already melting snow, but she’s smiling at Raven and it’s a lot like the summer sun.

“It’d only be impressive if it were a blizzard,” Abby says, loosening the knot of her scarf. “I’ll have-”

“What, no hey, hi, nice to see you after almost a whole week?” Raven quirks her brow and tilts her head.

“Oh,” Abby chuckles and shakes her head, little drops of melted snow flinging off her hair. “Hi Raven.”

“Hey,” Raven smiles, feeling a little warmth pooling in her chest. “So what’ll you have?”

“Oh… I think I’ll have one of your tea drinks today. Chai maybe?”

“Chai latte, large. Got it. Anything warm to eat?”

“Not today, I have an early lunch meeting.”

“Fun,” Raven says with a grimace, “that’ll be four sixty-seven, then.” Abby hands over her card and Raven swipes it. “So, what knocked you off your schedule last week?”

“Sche- I didn’t realise I had a schedule.” Abby raises her brows.

“Well, yeah,” Raven feels her face get hot and she tries to keep from looking at Abby by carefully ripping her receipt off of the machine and sliding it across the counter for Abby to sign. “Like… you only order an extra coffee to-go on the days you’re scheduled for a late shift. You always order one of our protein smoothies when you’re too rushed to eat. And you always say you ‘shouldn’t’ order a pastry so I’ll talk you into it because it makes you feel better.”

“I’m impressed. And… not even sure how you absorbed all that information when you have so many customers.” Abby laughs, pulling out her loyalty card and handing it over to Raven.

“I pay attention.” Raven says earnestly. Abby’s expression softens and Raven blushes, unable to keep the goofy grin off her face as she applies a stamp to Abby’s card.

* * *

Raven walks out of the back, pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. “Okay O. Since they plowed the streets last night it’s been crazy. Be prepared for the late afternoon rush and don’t forget to have....” Raven looks across the shop in time to catch sight of Abby practically fleeing through the front door. “Crap.” She grabs her bag from the hook by the back room door.

“Don’t forget what?” Octavia shouts as Raven hustles to catch up with Abby.

“Just call me later,” she calls back as she shoulders through the entrance.

“Hey Abby!” Raven huffs, realising as soon as she’s on the sidewalk that there’s no way she’ll catch up with Abby, who's already halfway to the crosswalk down the street. Abby stops and turns around, looking sheepish. Raven takes her time catching up, letting Abby stand there on the sidewalk with this shy, apologetic look on her face. “What’s the rush? Decide the hospital has better caffeine than I do?” Raven huffs, putting her hands on her hips.

“Oh I just. I was actually going in to see you. And then I didn’t see you so-”

“I was in the back clocking out,” Raven raises her brows, “what’s up?”

“I…” Abby shakes her head and sighs. “I just had a question about coffee. But it can wait.” Abby smiles, brief and insincere.

“Oh,” Raven frowns, “I… Right. Well, that’s cool. I’ll see you on Thursday then?”

“Yeah. No. Argh,” Abby sighs, raking her fingers through her hair in frustration. “I meant. Do you want to get lunch sometime? Someplace… other than the coffee shop?”

“Wait,” Raven balks, “really?”

“Well,” Abby bites her bottom lip, shifting from one foot to the other. “Yeah.”

“I’d love to,” Raven smiles, heat blossoming in her belly.

“Oh,” Abby laughs, “wonderful. Um, we can exchange numbers and make plans later?” She’s already fishing around in her purse for her phone.

“Or… you know, I’m free right now? I don’t have any plans today.”

“Oh. I hadn’t really thought-”

“It is lunchtime, you know. We could go grab a bite at that Italian place near campus.”

“Yeah?” Abby smiles, stepping closer to close the space between them. “I’d like that.”

* * *

The thing about love is that Raven has avoided it like she avoids juggling knives because, well, she likes to avoid getting hurt. But then Abby showed up with kind eyes and a throaty laugh and a quiet, intense way of looking at Raven, and Raven started thinking about love, at least in the abstract. The regular pattern of Abby’s visits became the heartbeat of Raven’s work week and she began to look forward to the long hours behind the counter, just for the days when Abby would come in. Abby laughed at her jokes, and encouraged her to start looking for jobs at a garage, where she could actually use her mechanic’s instincts and fix something other than a finicky espresso maker. The warm feeling that takes up residence in Raven's chest every time she thinks about Abby becomes as familiar as the creases in the corners of Abby's eyes, and Raven starts to think that juggling knives might be safer. There's a breathless madness in the way she feels her soul hurtling towards Abby.

She figured lunch with Abby went about as perfect as an impromptu lunch date can go. It’s not like they had sex or anything, but Abby laughed and smiled and gave Raven all the right signs that she was enjoying it, enjoying her. And when Abby had dropped her off at her house, she’d had this smile on her face and told Raven she’d call her, soon.

But then Abby didn’t call. And she didn’t show up for her regular Thursday coffee, either. Really, Raven could have texted or called at any point, but a sick sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach kept her fingers from finding Abby’s name in her contacts, even when she didn’t show up on Saturday, or Sunday, or the next week at all.

Three weeks pass and the winter thaws into a temperamental spring. Chilly rain replaces snow and everything slowly starts turning green, coming back to life. Raven works but everything blurs together without Abby to mark the advancing days.

It’s another normal Thursday, the new normal since Abby doesn’t come in anymore, and Raven’s on shift with Octavia now, instead of Bellamy. It’s one of those perfect early April days that would normally make Raven want to be outside in the fresh air instead of trapped with beans and pastries, but she’s too busy agonising over Abby to care. Nobody wants coffee on a day like this, even though it’s technically still cool enough for long sleeves, so the shop has remained mostly empty since Raven’s shift started at 10.

“I don’t get it,” Raven says miserably, leaning on the order counter. Octavia’s behind the till, working on her classics paper in between the sparse orders. “I thought things were going great.”

“You really should just text her,” Octavia says without looking up from her laptop.

“It’s too late for that. I’ll look like an obsessive spaz.”

“Or like you’re concerned about her,” Octavia says, eye roll implied. “But you are kind of obsessive,” Octavia adds after a beat. Raven scoffs and stands up, stretching the stiffness out of her back. She looks around the empty shop, everything tidy and ready for customers, her gaze wandering past the front window that overlooks the patio, and finally the front door, where she catches sight of Abby standing in the shade on the sidewalk.

“Oh my god,” Raven gasps, practically knocking Octavia off of her stool as she hurries by.

“Hey bitch,” Octavia shouts and Raven just flaps her arm in an apology. She must see Abby as she follows Raven’s trajectory out of the coffee shop because she just whistles and curses as Raven pushes out into the sunlight.

Abby waits for her under the tree on the sidewalk, dressed casually in jeans and ballet flats and a light sweater. She looks good, but tired, and Raven can’t help feeling a rush of relief and affection as she looks at her.

“Raven,” Abby says it like ‘sorry’ and Raven realises on top of missing her, she’s kind of mad at her.

“You never called,” Raven tries to say it without emotion, but her voice comes out in a snap and she frowns.

“My daughter got into an accident,” Abby says in a rush, twisting her hands together nervously.

“In California?” Raven’s stomach drops and she feels sick with guilt. How selfish she’s been.

“Yeah, it was a really bad front end crash,” Abby clears her throat, looking at Raven with the most sincere expression. “I had to be there and… I took a red eye and wasn’t even thinking.”

“Hey-”

“I kept meaning to text you but I barely got any sleep out there. She’s okay, now. Broken bones of course but her girlfriend out there... ” Abby sighs, “she basically forced me to come back home.”

“Abby I-”

“It was just so crazy. Doctors get so defensive when other doctors are family members and I was constantly butting heads with them and you’d think-” She exhales, running her fingers through her hair and pushing it back over her shoulders. “You’d think they’d… Anyway. I’m sorry. I meant to call. Or… I wanted to.” Abby’s shoulders slump and she shakes her head. “I’m not good at this.”

“Nobody’s good at dealing with their kid being in a car accident, Abby,” Raven smiles tightly.

“No, I mean,” Abby rolls her eyes, “dating.”

“Oh.” Raven blinks, opening her mouth to say something but nothing comes out.

“It’s just been a while and… I hope I didn’t chase you off by completely disappearing for three weeks.” Abby crosses her arms over her chest, squeezing tight like she’s trying to hug herself.

“Well,” Raven bites the inside of her cheek and steps closer to Abby, “we can try again?”

“That would be… great.” Abby smiles with relief.

Raven realises that this, Abby looking at her with soft eyes in the wet cool of early spring, is the start of something she’s been waiting for since Abby got stood up for her blind date in January. The canopy of new leaves dapples the buttery afternoon sunlight and everything in that moment feels so right and good. She leans in, kissing Abby softly, lightly resting her hands on Abby’s hips. Abby lets out a little noise of surprise and Raven pulls back, smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry.” Raven dips her head, a little embarrassed but not really all that sorry.

“Ugh,” Abby rolls her eyes, reaching up to grab the lapels of Raven’s coat, “come back here.” She pulls Raven back into a kiss and Raven lets her, laughing against her mouth as Abby’s cold fingers work their way up into her hair.


End file.
